I was 17 when I gave my very first talk. It was during Lent and the topic was on fasting. But the problem was, I didn’t know anything about it. My young and easily excitable self said yes, and I had to start studying right away. Suffice it to say, the talk I gave wasn’t so great, but it opened the door for me to learn more about fasting and practice it.

Unfortunately, many people today are unaware of the richness of this spiritual practice. If that’s you, it’s not too late. Lent is the perfect time to learn about fasting and to practice it with the Church. You can choose to do it with a group or with your family. There are plenty of Catholic resources that can help you learn about it. Look it up, so you don’t miss out on what God can do in you through this age old practice. 

Mon Reyes (rizmonreyes@gmail.com)

reflect

“Fasting is the support of our soul: it gives us wings to ascend on high, and to enjoy the highest contemplation!” (St. John Chrysostom)

Lord Jesus, help me grow closer to You this Lent. Thank You for Your Church that helps me know You more. Amen.

Saint Ananias II, pray for us.

What a great example it would be for all nations if our leaders repented of their sins instead of hiding them or distracting people from uncovering them. The king of Nineveh hears the call to repent and change his ways, then dons sackcloth and ashes. Let us always be attentive to the call to deeper conversion.

¹ The word of the Lord came to Jonah a second time: ² “Set out for the great city of Nineveh, and announce to it the message that I will tell you.” ³ So Jonah made ready and went to Nineveh, according to the Lord’s bidding. Now, Nineveh was an enormously large city; it took three days to go through it. ⁴ Jonah began his journey through the city, and had gone but a single day’s walk announcing, “Forty days more and Nineveh shall be destroyed,” ⁵ when the people of Nineveh believed God; they proclaimed a fast and all of them, great and small, put on sackcloth. ⁶ When the news reached the king of Nineveh, he rose from his throne, laid aside his robe, covered himself with sackcloth, and sat in the ashes. ⁷ Then he had this proclaimed throughout Nineveh, by decree of the king and his nobles: “Neither man nor beast, neither cattle nor sheep, shall taste anything; they shall not eat, nor shall they drink water. ⁸ Man and beast shall be covered with sackcloth and call loudly to God; every man shall turn from his evil way and from the violence he has in hand. ⁹ Who knows, God may relent and forgive, and withhold his blazing wrath, so that we shall not perish.” ¹⁰ When God saw by their actions how they turned from their evil way, he repented of the evil that he had threatened to do to them; he did not carry it out. 

Responsorial Psalm | Psalm 51:3-4, 12-13, 18-19

R: A heart contrite and humbled, O God, you will not spurn.

³ Have mercy on me, O God, in your goodness; in the greatness of your compassion wipe out my offense. ⁴ Thoroughly wash me from my guilt and of my sin cleanse me. (R) ¹² A clean heart create for me, O God, and a steadfast spirit renew within me. ¹³ Cast me not out from your presence, and your Holy Spirit take not from me. (R) ¹⁸ For you are not pleased with sacrifices; should I offer a burnt offering, you would not accept it. ¹⁹ My sacrifice, O God, is a contrite spirit; a heart contrite and humbled, O God, you will not spurn. (R)

Gospel | Luke 11:29-32

Jesus is bewildered by how hard He finds the people’s hearts. He convinces them of their sins by giving pagan examples that relate to Israel’s past. It is a powerful speech that has me convinced. But I need to do more to overcome the sin and its patterns in my life if I truly want to follow Jesus.

Gospel Acclamation

Even now, says the Lord, return to me with your whole heart for I am gracious and merciful.

²⁹ While still more people gathered in the crowd, Jesus said to them, “This generation is an evil generation; it seeks a sign, but no sign will be given it, except the sign of Jonah. ³⁰ Just as Jonah became a sign to the Ninevites, so will the Son of Man be to this generation. ³¹ At the judgment the queen of the south will rise with the men of this generation and she will condemn them, because she came from the ends of the earth to hear the wisdom of Solomon, and there is something greater than Solomon here. ³² At the judgment, the men of Nineveh will arise with this generation and condemn it, because at the preaching of Jonah they repented, and there is something greater than Jonah here.”

Reflect

“To him who still remains in the world, there is no repentance that is too late.” (St. Cyprian)

Read the Bible in one year! Read HEBREWS 9 - 13 today.

Many people have always been fascinated by various spectacular spiritual events like miracles and apparitions. These signs and wonders have stirred both faith and curiosity—not only in those from Jesus’ time but also in us today.

In today’s Gospel passage, Jesus addresses that desire for signs by pointing out the story of Jonah—a prophet who spent three days inside a great fish—to symbolically speak of His own death and resurrection. Like Jonah, He will be hidden from sight for three days and then return. He proclaims this as the only sign that will be given, for “something greater than Jonah is here” (Luke 11:32). The real sign is His own person. This sign, more than any miracle, is the ultimate proof that God is truly present among them.

This is not to say that genuine signs of God’s presence do not occur—some of us encounter them. However, the people of Nineveh responded to Jonah not because of miracles, but because they recognized the truth in his message. Jesus implies that Gentiles, like the Queen of the South, will stand as witnesses to the Jewish listeners’ hard-heartedness.

While signs can touch our emotions and strengthen our faith, they should not be its foundation. Our true anchor is Jesus Christ. As He said, “This generation is an evil one; it seeks a sign” (Luke 11:29). Jesus warns that when we chase after signs, we risk missing the deeper invitation—to trust God even in silence, even in the ordinary. Faith rooted in signs is fragile. But faith grounded in Jesus Christ—the Word made flesh—is solid, enduring, and true.

Spectacle may gather a crowd, but transformation begins when the Word of God is received with an open heart. God often speaks not in thunder or lightning, but in the quiet moments—in prayer, in Scripture, in the daily stirrings of the Holy Spirit. 

Fr. Ricky Montañez, AA

reflection question

Are you learning to walk by faith, even when you don’t see clear signs or immediate answers?

Lord, may we open our hearts to the presence of God in the ordinary and trust that He is always at work, even when no signs appear. Amen.

Today, I pray for: _________________________________________